Amokachi Predicts 2018 World Cup Winner

Former Nigeria international Daniel Amokachi is optimistic the Super Eagles will win the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the first-ever by an African team.

Nigeria has only managed second round appearances at three editions of the competition – 1994, 1998 and 2014 – with Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana the only sides from the continent to have reached the quarter-finals.

However, Amokachi who played in the West Africans’ debut outing in 1994 as well as the 1998 competition, said African teams have to start believing that they can win the World Cup.

According to the Olympic gold medalist, Gernot Rohr’s men have all it takes to go all the way and win the crown in Russia.

“Will Nigeria get out of that group (2018 World Cup Group D)? Yes. Will Nigeria go far in the World Cup? Yes. Will Nigeria be able to win the World Cup? Yes,” he told BBC.

“Africans have to start believing. They have to go past that stage of ‘your country got to the Second Round, ‘your country got to the Quarter-finals.’ No, I’m going to a major tournament to go and win it.

“If we had that mentality, we will go a very long way. And that was what killed us when we were there in 1994, that’s what killed Cameroon when they were there in 1990 and that’s what killed Senegal in 2002. Because they are just going there to have fun instead of ‘we are going there to win it’.”

Egobiambu Emmanuel is a Mass Communication graduate from the University of Benin.
He is a media enthusiast, loves reading and writing, and has a special interest in personal development. Emmanuel is a reporter with Concise News.